New video campaign meant to scare the text out of you

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They’re squarely targeting teens with a direct and brutal message – don’t even look at your phone while you’re driving.

What started as a successful campaign in two states is going nationwide, and it’s coming to a road near you.

California and Delaware programs called “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” are being reinvented on a national scale. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration launched the first national campaign against distracted driving, which includes television, radio and digital ads with the theme “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.”

The $8.5 million campaign runs from April 7 to 15 as part of a nationwide law enforcement crackdown in states with distracted driving bans.

Iowa and Illinois are among those states.

The NHTSA says 43 states ban texting for drivers of all ages, 12 states prohibit drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving and 37 states ban cell phone use by novice drivers.

Iowa law does not ban cell phones for drivers, but the state already has a law on the books that says no one can use a handheld device to write, send or read a message while driving a motor vehicle.

The ‘high-visibility enforcement” part of the campaign involves thousands of law enforcement people conducting extra enforcement to crack down on motorists who text and drive between April 10 and April 15.

WARNING: Video below is graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers.

6 comments

Craig

Jess

This should bot be aired on TV at all my best friend was in an accident in May 15, 2012 and lived. She is lucky to have walked away well somewhat walk away. It is very painful for not only me but it is painful for her to see things like this on TV. Her accident was aired on TV for a commercial and not interested me but everyone that we know called and demanded that her accident was removed from the commercial. So this brings back horrible memories for me.

I’m sorry it brings back horrible memories for you, but maybe realistic depictions of accidents like these will save even more lives. As hard as it may be for you to watch it, you should think of others first.

Victim

I am sorry your friend was in an accident – but so was I. I got t-boned riding on a motorcycle by a car where the driver wasn’t paying attention, As the actual victim of an accident, I say show more of these and make them more graphic!

that one guy

I think they should make them more real because she was watching the road then blew a stop sign all with I.n a few seconds… I can see a stop sign 2 blocks away and for 2 the speed limit sign said 25mph how many tines u see a truck hit a car doing 25 then it flipping like 7 times.. I don’t think people should text and drive but come on they could have do e a better job on the video